Bad French prolongs Russia-Georgia conflict

Telegraph UK ^ | 1:16AM BST 08 Sep 2008 | By Peter Allen in Paris

[Perdogg]

Last month's ceasefire agreement centred around the creation of "buffer zones" between Russia and the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia which are now effectively controlled by the Kremlin. The agreement was brokered by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president whose country currently holds the EU presidency. But the original diplomatic coup became an embarrassing failure as Russia failed to move its troops off the main body of Georgia.

Bernard Kouchner told a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the weekend that the ceasefire agreement was written in French before being translated into English and then Russian. Asked what problems surrounded the buffer zones, Mr Kouchner replied: "The translation, as always."

Last month's five day conflict in Georgia cost hundreds of lives, with many more injured and made homeless. Russia has redrawn the map of Europe and opened a new threatening chapter in its relations with the West.

[maquiladora]

[ZULU]

The Fort Necessity Effect. It screwed up Washington.

But then, what do you expect of people speaking FRENCH???

[ken21]

sarkozy’s disappointing.

he was advertised as the new french conservative

opposing the usual list of french socialists.

[Repeal The 17th]

You would think that by now there would be a
common and easily translated french phrase
for “put down your weapons and retreat”.

[Alia]

From article: In fact French has long been replaced by English as the language of diplomacy, and is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the international community.

Last week French education minister Xavier Darcos admitted that "the secret of success" for French youngsters nowadays was to speak English.

Uh, betcha the multi-culti tower of babel Lefties miss this part of the article..... Their beloved Chirac demanded that French be the language internacional! This reporting shows that had the original doc been written in English and then translated into Russia, the "mess-up" might not have happened.

But of course, this could all be a spit in the pond, after a dust-up, at any rate.